What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
xenial
Example
The hotel staff provided a xenial welcome to the guests. [xenial: adjective]
Example
The villagers showed a xenial attitude towards the foreign visitors. [xenial: noun]
friendly
Example
She has a friendly personality and is easy to talk to. [friendly: adjective]
Example
The two teams had a friendly match with no hard feelings. [friendly: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Friendly is more commonly used than xenial in everyday language. Friendly is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while xenial is less common and refers specifically to hospitality towards strangers or guests.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between xenial and friendly?
While xenial is typically associated with a formal and polite tone, friendly is more versatile and can be employed in various formality levels, allowing it to be used in both formal and informal contexts.